C2 Goes Duck Hunting

Author: Special To C2 Magazine
| Photographer: Mark Staff Photography

On a chilly morning in December, C2’s photographer Mark Staff awoke at 2am to join Clark Fons and Chris Marra for a Lowcountry duck hunt on Bear Island, WMA (Wildlife Management Area). The 2013 waterfowl season in South Carolina is currently open and runs through January 27.

Moving Target
Most waterfowl fly at speeds of 40 to 60mph. The fastest duck ever recorded was a Red Breasted Merganser that attained a top speed of 100 mph.

Camouflage 101
Facemasks are an integral part of the total camouflage. Ducks generally circle several times before starting their descent and will quickly pick up on a shiny white face staring up at them from the blind.

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area
is a owned by the SC Department of Natural Resources and is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species such as wood storks and bald eagles; to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species; and to provide recreational opportunities for the hunting and non-hunting public.

The Day’s Bag
Four Green Winged Teal
Three Northern Shovelers
Four Gadwall
One American Widgeon
The Daily limit for waterfowl in South Carolina is six total ducks per person. Each species of duck has its own limit and hunters are slapped with a hefty fine if regulations are not adhered to. For more information, visit www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/migratorybird.

Decoys & Calls
Experienced Duck Hunters are very particular when it comes to setting up their decoy spread. Wind is the number one factor. Ducks always land into the wind, so the idea is to place the decoys in such a way so as to create an opening landing strip for them. Less is more when it comes to using duck calls. It’s been said that “in the hands of the inexperienced, a duck call is the greatest waterfowl conservation tool ever invented.”

About Us

In September of 2006, Celebrate Hilton Head (CH2) burst onto the scene with a fresh perspective on Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and the surrounding Low Country. At the helm was a team of young women (all under 30!) with no experience whatsoever in the publishing industry. The first year they made up the rules as they went along. CH2 (and CB2 – Celebrate Bluffton and Beyond), has evolved into a well-respected publication with over 150 advertisers and a distribution to over 47,000 locals and visitors each month.

Content ranges from Interesting Islander profiles and arts and entertainment pieces to food and wine topics and Hilton Head and Bluffton Business Profiles. CH2’s Bachelor of the Year Contest has blossomed into a greatly anticipated media event every year with viral marketing (i.e., Facebook, Twitter) contributing to the annual readership of those issues pertaining to the contest and over 700 people attending the Bachelor of the Year party held every October held at a local Hilton Head or Bluffton entertainment spot.

CH2 strives to give back to the community in which they have been so successful by sponsoring charitable events in both Hilton Head Island and Bluffton (Bluffton’s MayFest, put on by the Bluffton Rotary), donating editorial space to worthy organizations (Bold Strokes, Volunteers in Medicine, March of Dimes), and making the Hilton Head Island Rec Center the recipient of monies raised in conjunction with the Bachelor of the Year Contest.